CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Fall Forest Fire Season got underway Wednesday. That means you cannot burn outdoors from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of the year. If you’re caught breaking the law, you face a fine of anywhere from $100 to $1,000. Burning is allowed from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. but there are strict laws in place.

“You have to clear a patch of earth, we call it a safety strip, around what you are burning that is clear down to the mineral soil so that there’s nothing flammable in there where a spark could catch fire and go off into the woods or the grass,” explained Leslie Smithson with the state Division of Forestry.